


Who's To Say (What's Wrong Or Right)

by shiny_starlight



Series: Pave the Way [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But he doesn't get them in this fic, Gen, I'm Sorry, M/M, Punishment, angsty as fuck, post 2x18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 17:06:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13862121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_starlight/pseuds/shiny_starlight
Summary: When it's your family on the lineThe Downworlders deal with Valentine. Alec deals with the Clave.And the Clave deals with Alexander Lightwood.





	Who's To Say (What's Wrong Or Right)

**Author's Note:**

> At some point in the last few episodes, I _swear_ this exchange happens:
> 
> Alec: The Downworlders should be able to deal with Valentine.  
> Jace: What about the Clave?  
> Alec: Let me deal with the Clave.
> 
> However, I cannot find that clip again, and it is driving me mad. But, even if it did only exist in the depths of my imagination, it make me think. If Alec did go to bat for the Downworlders and if they actually did manage to take down Valentine, the Clave would not be forgiving of Alec for his part in it. And thus this fic was born. 
> 
>  
> 
> Title from [Honestly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ALCLY-Rh4) by one of my absolute favourite bands, Press to MECO. Go check them out. You will NOT be disappointed. 
> 
>  
> 
> All the thanks in the cosmos to [MaiKageshi](http://archiveofourown.org/users/MaiKageshi/pseuds/MaiKageshi) for her astounding beta work. She made this miles better than it actually was, and I am so very grateful.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood, for the blatant disregard of your orders and your part in the murder of Valentine Morgenstern in allegiance with the Downworld, you have committed high treason against the Clave. For your crimes, I hereby sentence you to be exiled and stripped of your runes. From now on, you will be banished from the country of Idris, as well as all Shadowhunter facilities across the globe.” 

The guards on either side of him tightened their grip on Alec’s arms as Inquisitor Herondale made her judgement. However, he made no move to struggle. She sat on her raised plinth like a regent, flanked on each side by Consul Malachi and Counsellor Swiftriver, looking down to where Alec remained bound and guarded. The vast Council chambers were empty aside from the six of them, so her words echoed across the vast space, disappearing into the darkness of the high ceilings. 

This should have been Alec’s nightmare. These words should have broken him, left him begging for forgiveness on his knees. And judging by the tightening grip of the guards in the long moment of pure silence that followed her pronouncement, Alec figured it was what everyone was expecting. But Alec didn’t move, his face an impassive mask to temper the righteous fury burning through his veins. 

He’d know from the very beginning that this was the probable outcome of his actions. Given his history, he’d been pretty sure that being de-runed was a certainty; in fact he had been prepared for it. He had even been prepared for an execution order. Still, he stood his ground. He’d done the right thing, though obviously not in the eyes of the Clave. He would be banished, but he wasn’t without hope. His siblings were smart and creative. But most importantly, they were alive. If things had continued the way they had been, he couldn’t have guaranteed that outcome. People were dying. As an older brother, it was his job to make sure his siblings weren’t amongst them. At the end of it all, they were all alive and so was he; he would find a way to see them again. 

Besides, he would still have the Sight. He wouldn’t be completely cut off from the Shadow World. 

And then there was Magnus. 

Maybe...

“Do you have anything you wish to say for yourself before your sentence is carried out?” Herondale glared down at him. Alec could almost see Jace in the fierceness of her gaze, but there was a hardness and a cold cruelty there that Jace could never possess. Despite everything his parabatai had been through and no matter how much of a pain in the ass he could be, Jace remained at his core a good and decent person. Alec couldn’t say the same for Imogen Herondale.

After seeing time and again how the Clave had treated the Downworld, their own people even, he’s not sure he could say the same for much of the council.

“I stand by my decisions,” Alec stated. His voice didn’t waver as he stared up at his jurors. “Valentine Morgenstern did more harm to the Downworld than he ever did to Shadowhunters. They had the right to deal with him as they saw fit.”

“A Shadowhunter was hunted down by wolves and vampires then torn apart by magic!” Herondale bellowed. “You called your men back. You allowed it to happen. You _helped _them by providing cover fire. You all but killed one of our own.”__

__“You have no right to talk,” Alec growled. “When he was in our custody…”_ _

__“You allowed him to escape,” the Inquisitor cut him off smoothly. “And now, a Shadowhunter is dead at the hands of Downworlders. The Accords have not only been broken. They have been ripped apart by blood lust and vengeance!”_ _

__“That _Shadowhunter_ killed dozens, if not hundreds, of Downworlders! They’ve been bound by the one-sided Accords for decades, powerless as their people were slaughtered with impunity. We did nothing to help them. Nothing! They had to consider the safety of their people while we just had to consider the pride of ours. We failed in our duty to track down and capture Valentine. We had our chance. It was their turn. Strip me of my runes, I don’t give a damn. The people I love are safe from that maniac. Now he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”_ _

__“The people you love?” the Inquisitor spat. “I assume you’re talking about that Warlock of yours.”_ _

__“Yes, I am. And I’m not afraid to hide it. Magnus Bane is a better man than most Shadowhunters I have ever known.”_ _

__The Inquisitor narrowed her eyes and stared down at him for a long time. Alec stood tall, refusing to be cowed. He had done the right thing. He’d known when he made the agreement with the Downworld council that it would come to this. He would lose his family, his sister, Max, and Jace… but they would be alive and safe. It was worth it._ _

__And a teeny, tiny part of Alec hoped that if he didn’t have to answer to the Clave, he could begin to make things right with Magnus._ _

__“You have quite a low opinion of your fellow Shadowhunters,” Consul Malachi sneered._ _

__“I call it as I see it,” Alec replied simply._ _

__“Luckily, you shall not be a ‘fellow’ Shadowhunter for long,” Swiftriver said, sitting back in his chair with a smug grin on his face. “We have no need for traitors like you in our ranks. But what do you expect from the child of Maryse and Robert Lightwood? And raised by Hodge Starkweather?” He turned to the others. “We must keep an eye on the other Lightwood children.”_ _

__“One moment,” Herondale raised her hand to call for attention. “Hodge Starkweather. Yes, yes, you were, in part, raised by him.” She stood and slowly descended the steps to stand in front of Alec, a mockery of a friendly smile on her face. “Such a price to pay for treachery; imprisoned in one place, even as nice a place as the New York Institute. Unable to leave, to visit family, friends…” She looked him sharply in the eye. “Lovers.”_ _

__Alec’s breath caught in his throat. No. They couldn’t…_ _

__“Perhaps I have been too hasty,” the Inquisitor continued, her mocking smile turning into a sharp and feral grin to match the look in her eyes. “After all, you are my grandson’s Parabatai. That poor boy has been through so much. The loss of his Parabatai bond in such… unfortunate circumstances may be too much for him.”_ _

__She stepped back from him and turned to her colleagues. “Let the records show that I am retracting my previous sentence.” She raised her hands for calm when the other members erupted into shouts and protests. “Alexander Lightwood is one of our best and brightest. It would be a shame for us to lose his talents due to his… distasteful predilections and loyalties.” She turned to Alec once more, and the look in her eyes made him go cold all over. For the first time, he struggled in his guard’s hold, trying desperately to free himself. His hands were tightly bound in front of him, hindering his attempts so when the hulking brute on his right kicked out his knee, Alec slammed to the floor hard. Unable to break his fall, pain shot through him from the hard contact with the unforgiving marble that paved the council chambers floor._ _

__“Mr. Lightwood, I am sentencing you to lifetime confinement to the Institute here in Alicante. The Containment Rune shall be placed upon your body, and there it shall remain until your death. You will spend your time here training the young recruits from some of the oldest and proudest families of Shadowhunters in Idris. There may be some… ideological differences,” she mused, a facsimile of sorrow on her face. “You see, many of the children here in Idris have never left the country and you may find some of their thoughts and feelings on members of the Downworld very different from your own. But never fear; all of Idris knows of your feelings towards the Downworld, particularly a certain High Warlock. I’m sure they will have many questions and comments on your views.”_ _

__She smiled serenely and walked back to her chair, reclining like a queen on a throne. Alec had never hated anyone more._ _

__“If you do a good job without any slip ups, then after 18 months, you will be allowed to see your family and your parabatai. If I get reports of any problems from the Institute Head, then that time doubles. Unfortunately, due to the recent actions of some members of the Downworld, particularly the so-called ‘Downworld Council’ with regards to Valentine Morgenstern, no member of the Downworld; be they Werewolf, Fae, Vampire or Warlock, shall never set foot in Idris again. The Clave has decided to sever any and all relations with the Downworld, given our difference in world views.”_ _

__“You can’t do that!” Alec shouted, struggling once more. “You can’t sever relations with the Downworld. They’re people, just like you and me. They won’t have any protection from Shadowhunters!”_ _

__“I didn’t do this, Mr. Lightwood. You did. The laws are there for a reason. You just chose to ignore them. The Law is hard, but it is the law.”_ _

__“Lex malla, lex nulla,” Alec retorted. “A bad law is no law.”_ _

__“You see, that’s where we differ, Mr. Lightwood. I do not believe this law is a bad law.” She turned to his guards._ _

__“Take him to the Institute and have the Containment Rune placed on his neck,” she ordered. “Report my decisions to the Head of the Institute, and let him do with Mr. Lightwood what he will.” She turned to Alec. “I suggest you enjoy your last few minutes as a free man. The Head of the Institute is a little bit old fashioned. He will not be as forgiving as I am.”_ _

__Alec thrashed in the hold again, managing to break free in his frantic desperation. No. He can’t go there. Magnus. He needs to see Magnus. If he was brought to the Alicante Institute, he would never see him again. He would never hear him laugh or see him smile, never kiss him again… He threw his bound fists into one of his guards faces, hearing the satisfying crunch of a broken bone as he shattered his nose. He brought a leg up to knee him in the stomach and the guard dropped like a stone, groaning loudly._ _

__Unfortunately, his second guard was quicker and the split second it took him to take down the other one was all he needed. Alec felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, and he staggered, vision speckling with black, fuzzy dots. He turned to fight, but dizziness overtook him and he dropped to his knees. Pain exploded across his face as the guard punched him again, and darkness overtook him._ _

__

__

__When Alec woke up, he was lying on a bare cot in a near empty room. The small dresser that sat across from him against the wall was the room’s only furniture, aside from the hideously uncomfortable camp cot he was on. There were two doors on opposite sides of the room: Alec knew one led to a small bathroom and the other to the hall and into the Institute proper. He’d seen these kind of guest quarters in the Alicante Institute before, but the ones he’s been to hadn’t been this… spartan._ _

__His head throbbed and his neck burned as he rolled over to sit up, his vision still swimming. He reached for his stele to activate his Iratze rune, but it wasn’t in his pants pocket. He patted the area around him, looking for his jacket in case it was in there, but his jacket was gone as well. He shivered at the slight chill in the air before bracing himself, slowly pushing himself into a sitting position._ _

__His entire body ached. Aside from his head, his right knee burned like fire from the kick he’d received, and his torso tightened in pain with every breath he took. His guess was that the guards had been none too gentle in moving him from the council chambers to wherever he was now. They had probably ‘accidentally’ dropped him a few times on the way._ _

__But the worst pain of all was the one running down his neck. His hand shook as he reached up to gently touch the new rune branded into his skin. It was placed just under his right jaw, a perfect mirror of his deflect rune and a mockery of his fate. His fingers traced the swirling pattern of the Containment Rune and he was suddenly very glad that there was no mirror in this room with him. He didn’t want to see._ _

__His head cleared by degrees, and he gingerly pushed himself to his feet. He was swaying slightly and reached out to steady himself against the wall. He traced his way over to the door that led to the hall and was unsurprised to find it locked. Leaning against the door, he looked around the small room and fought the lump in his throat that threatened to overtake him. He never thought it would end up like this. He didn’t regret what he’d done, never could and never will. He’d just thought the worst they could do was de-runing him._ _

__He hadn’t even thought of Hodge._ _

__Stupid of him really, to not make the connection. The older man had practically raised him and Alec owed him a lot, despite his betrayal. And now he was dead._ _

__But despite the painful burn of hurt and loss that swamped him at the thought of Hodge’s actions, he knew it hadn’t been personal. Hodge had loved Alec and his siblings, had taught and guided them for years, being more present and more of a father to Alec particularly than Robert Lightwood could ever be. Yes, Hodge had loved them, but he’d been alone. Alone, lonely and desperate for freedom. But when it came to it, he’d given his life to try to save Jace._ _

__Jace, who Alec may one day see again. If he was good enough. If he responded to orders well enough, like a trained dog. He felt his hands tighten into fists at the mere thought. He had to see Jace again. He was one of the people Alec loved most in the entire world._ _

__His siblings, he would see again. It would take some time, but he _would_ see them again. _ _

__But he would never see Magnus again. He would never… Alec cut that thought off with the ruthless efficiency he’d achieved after years of work practicing to bury emotions. He couldn’t cry. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction._ _

__After getting control of himself once more, he stood and straightened his shirt, noting that his head was a bit clearer. He checked the dresser beside the door, somewhat amused to find clothes, his clothes, neatly folded inside. A quick search through the drawers told him that it was just clothes and a few sets of plain sheets and blankets, nothing else. Nothing personal. No momentos or photographs, not even of those of his family. Nothing to remind him of his old life. He swallowed painfully again. That was just cruel of them._ _

__He heard the muffled sound of footsteps and the turn of a key in the lock. With that, he made his way as quickly as he could across the room, his back against the wall as he readied himself in as much of a fighting stance as he could whilst still woozy._ _

__The door swung open to reveal a small grey-haired man, flanked by two guards with their hands already on their seraph blades. Alec couldn’t help the smirk that graced his features, secretly pleased that they felt he warranted such a reaction._ _

__“My name is Victor Greystairs,” his visitor announced, noting Alec’s stance and smirk, and his scowl deepened. “I am the Head of the Institute here in Idris. Now, let me start by making this very clear. Mr. Lightwood, we do not want you here.”_ _

__“Well good…”_ _

__“However,” Greystairs continued, “Unlike you Mr. Lightwood, I follow orders. The Inquisitor has told me that you are to remain here, and remain here you shall.” He looked around the bare room. “These are your quarters. You are to return here when you are not training or teaching your students. You will be escorted to and from the armoury as well as the training rooms at all times. A full itinerary of every item will be taken every day. Needless to say, all items must be returned at the end of the training session. You cannot keep any weapons here. A stele will be issued to you at the beginning of every training session, but you will have to return it before you can retire to your room.” He paused, and the edges of his lips curled wickedly, it was not a nice smile in any way._ _

__“Inquisitor Herondale told me of the conditions of your visitations with your family; 18 months of good behaviour before you can see them again, wasn’t it? Well, she also told me that I could handle that particular deal however I wish.”_ _

__The more he spoke, the more dread curled in Alec’s stomach. Oh God, this was going to be his life now. The confinement rune seared making him lose his balance. Alec sunk back to lean against the wall._ _

__“As I am a fair man, I realize you will struggle with the change,” Greystairs said, bending down and bouncing on his heels in front of Alec, “you will have one chance. If I get one complaint, hear you speaking out, or find you neglecting your duties, you will get one free pass. Just the one. The time limit you have before you can see your family will not change. After that, I increase the months. And believe me, I will ensure that you stick to them. I am not a forgiving man, Mr. Lightwood.”_ _

__He straightened and turned to leave._ _

__“I will leave you to settle in,” he said over his shoulder. “Your classes begin at 7am sharp. I’m sure your students will be very interested to meet you.”_ _

__Alec barely heard him. Burying his hands in his face, he took long and deep breaths to stave off the panic. For the first time since his arrest, he let a few tears slip down his cheeks. It was starting to sink in that this would truly be his life from now on. He was alone here, and would be for a long, long time. He had no friends here and was under no illusion that he would find any amongst the Shadowhunters here in Alicante._ _

__Idris was the home of all Shadowhunters; it was where they came from, where they kept accounts of their histories and their laws. No matter which Institute you were based at or where you lived in the world, Idris was your true home. As the capital city, Alicante had always housed members of the High Council and their families: the people most loyal to the Clave and to their laws. They were the ones who were always the more rigid in their ideals, more resistant to change and to any shift in power._ _

__And, as the Inquisitor had said, many of them, especially the younger ones, would never have been beyond their borders. They had surely heard about Valentine and been ‘concerned and appalled’ at his actions, but they hadn’t _lived_ through it. They weren’t scared that their siblings, friends, their lovers might not make it through the week. They certainly _would_ have heard about his wedding and relationship with Magnus. Alicante ran on gossip, and a Lightwood leaving his fiance at the altar for the very _male_ High Warlock of Brooklyn had been the most scandalous news to hit their world in the past 20 years. No. Alec would not find many friends here, especially branded a traitor as he had been. _ _

__He couldn’t bring himself to regret his actions though, not matter the consequences to himself. He only hoped that is friends in the Downworld would manage to keep themselves safe in the turbulent times ahead. With the accords gone, it was open season on any and all Downworlders, and he hope that Luke, Maia, Simon and all his friends kept out of the crossfire. And Magnus…_ _

__He sighed, tears slowing as he thought of Magnus: not High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus Bane, but _his_ Magnus; the kind and generous man who would push himself to the point of exhaustion to help a friend, but who was also blindsided by a simple gift from Alec; the man who would hold his hand and play with his fingers as Alec talked about his day; the one who pushed Alec to be a better man than he ever though he could be and who loved him despite his many failings. That was his Magnus. His beautiful, amazing and _powerful_ Magnus. And despite the fact that Magnus had chosen to his own people in the end, Alec still loved him. He had to be alright: Alec couldn’t accept anything else. _ _

__Once he got himself under control, he took a breath, scrubbed his hands over his eyes and stood, resolve straightening his spine._ _

__It had been worth it. He could do this. He could play the part and see his family again._ _

__And Magnus?_ _

__Alec had faith in him. This was not their end._ _

**Author's Note:**

> So, don't hate me. This may not be the end? 
> 
> I have a few more ideas bouncing around in my head for this if people are interested....


End file.
